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Nephrologist

People who are having problems with their kidneys should no longer fear since there is a certain kind of specialist whose concern falls mainly on the care of the urinary system. This specialist underwent an extensive training on nephrology and this individual is known as a nephrologist.

Definition

Nephrology is a subspecialty of larger branches of medicine known as the internal medicine and the pediatrics. This is the division of medical science that deals with the study of both the process as well as the diseases that affect the urinary system.

Nephrologists are the physicians who have had enough education and training regarding the diagnosis and treatment of both the common as well as complex kidney diseases. They are also knowledgeable on management of these illnesses including blood pressure regulation, normalizing serum electrolyte levels, stabilizing body hydration, and directing dialysis therapy.

Types of Patients

We already know that nephrology concentrates on the study of kidney functions and processes. Hence, the patients with diseases targeting their kidneys are the ones being treated by these medical specialists.

Some of the illnesses that are taken care of the nephrologists are acid-base and electrolyte disorders. They also diagnose and create a treatment plan for the very common kidney problems such as the kidney stones or the nephrolithiasis and urinary tract infection (UTI). Hypertension is sometimes attributed to a kidney problem hence it is also part of the group of conditions treated by these medical experts.

There are major diseases that greatly affect the patients' kidneys and these are also handled proficiently by the doctors of nephrology. Some of the complicated illnesses included are the acute kidney disease and the end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Subspecialty

Even though nephrology is already considered as a subspecialty under internal medicine, it still branches out to two other subspecialties. Nephrologists can specialize in the field of either adult nephrology or pediatric nephrology. Of course, nephrologists must have further training and they must also take and pass an examination in order to practice in this field.